Pic request, M101

[BSH]

Has anyone done a spring under conversion on an M101A1 or similar? It looks like it would be pretty easy to do to lower ride height, just want to see an example if anyone has one.

A second request would be an M101 with civi tires.

Thanks.

 

[KaiserM109]

I bought an M101 with 1 hub, no tongue and no wheels. I bought it to pull behind my '69 Ford Bronco. The Bronco has 5 on 5 1/2 bolts.

I cut the military spindles off of the axle and welded on the front spindles from a '75 Ford Bronco. I put webs on the 12:00 and 6:00 positions to assist in supporting the weight. You have to plug the hole in the spindle or welding slag will go from inside the axle tube to your bearings.

CAUTION: Be extremely picky about aligning the spindles; we used a laser. If you get it wrong, it will not follow well and could give you a surprise in a turn.

I am extremely happy with the setup. The trailer really tows well. The change in spindles probably down-rated my weight capacity, but it still hauls as much as I ought to be dragging around behind the Bronco.

Since I also had to build the tongue, I put on a hitch that can be turned around; it has a 2” ball socket on one end and a 3” pintle eye on the other. I use the ball on the highway and the pintle off-road. I plan to chop the hubs down and put blank covers from a Jeep Wagoneer on them, but for now, have you ever seen a trailer with lockout hubs?

 

[swbradley1]

Lockout hubs on a trailer. What will they think of next?


Good looking mods.

sw

 

[RKBA]

Has anyone done a spring under conversion on an M101A1 or similar? It looks like it would be pretty easy to do to lower ride height, just want to see an example if anyone has one.

A second request would be an M101 with civi tires.

Thanks.

I am doing a spring under on my m101A2 shortly. If I am measuring correctly, it should net 6" of drop.

The lower shock/u-bolt plate just requires a little grinder therapy to become an axle mount pad.

 

[BSH]

Kaiser, I've seen your setup in another thread, and it's one I look closely at. I like it, and I think it's a great approach. As scrap, you must have got that trailer cheap. I'd ask you for details about your tongue, but you had to fab it all the way back to the frame. I'm only thinking about replacing the lunette/landing leg assembly; I have a complete trailer to start with. Anyway, yours looks good. Have you made it prettier since you got it roadworthy? If so, any newer pics? Thanks.

RKBA, if you do that conversion, take pics and post them. I'd like to see it. Thanks.

 

[KaiserM109]

BSH,
I paid $110 more for it than I paid for a newly rebuilt M105. I haven't prettied the box up at all. It still says “SCRAP” across the front. I traded the brakes from the original for a set of side boards and vinyl top. LOVE IT!! I don’t have to tarp my load anymore. I also got a set of magnetic stick-on lights from Harbor Freight and bolted them on permanently along with the license plate light assembly from a '55 Willys Overland wagon.

I measured the tongue on an M101 at Ft. Carson and made mine the same overall dimensions out of square tubing. I plan to add a jack of some type; right now I use a Hi Lift jack. I also intend to fabricate the rest of the back leg. After 2 incidents of setting a kitchen trailer on its butt, I am getting nervous.

I keep intending to photo it with its top on when I’m at the storage yard (10 miles away), but I keep forgetting about it. I have been focused on getting my MKT-85 kitchen trailer ready. I’ll be over there in the next couple of days.

Arlyn

 

[KaiserM109]

Here are the pic's. First, I have to apologize for the quality; apparently our 2 yr. old grandson has been playing with the camera and I didn’t check the lens until I saw the pic’s.

Here is what it looks like. It is rather ugly, but functional. It tows very well behind the Bronco as long as you keep the load in the trailer under 1500 lb. This is how it rides with 1000 lb.

I love the M101s with the split rear fencing. They are well thought out.

About spring-under conversion: it can only be done if you extend the spring shackles down or get a set of springs with a LOT more bow. Speaking from past experience, don’t even consider re-arching springs. That being done, it would work to just flip the axle over. You would not have to cut and reweld spring perches at all.

Pic “F Bottom to Top” shows it all. The frame is at the 11” mark, the top of the spring is at the 6” mark and the axle is 4” thick, including the spring perch and U bolt bracket. That means that without the rubber bump there would be only 1 1/2 “ of travel left and that doesn’t account for the ends of the U bolts that will now be pointing up. Finally, you will have to figure out another solution for the rubber stop; bolting it to the frame would probably work well.

Given enough time, effort and money, anything is possible, but the question is always “Is it worth it?” Only you can answer that one.

Lockout hubs on a trailer. What will they think of next? ... sw

Studded snow tires

 

[RKBA]

About spring-under conversion: it can only be done if you extend the spring shackles down or get a set of springs with a LOT more bow. Speaking from past experience, don’t even consider re-arching springs. That being done, it would work to just flip the axle over. You would not have to cut and reweld spring perches at all.

Pic “F Bottom to Top” shows it all. The frame is at the 11” mark, the top of the spring is at the 6” mark and the axle is 4” thick, including the spring perch and U bolt bracket. That means that without the rubber bump there would be only 1 1/2 “ of travel left and that doesn’t account for the ends of the U bolts that will now be pointing up. Finally, you will have to figure out another solution for the rubber stop; bolting it to the frame would probably work well.

The frame to axle clearance is definitely a concern when trying this. I started working on mine this evening and have some preliminary measurements. I started with 6" clearance from the top of the leaf to the frame, similar to yours. The NOS pair of springs recently purchased from Saturn Surplus have one more leaf and 1.5" additional arch when compared to what came on the trailer. That gives me roughly 3 - 3 1/2" of bump clearance from the frame to the axle tube. I don't know for sure if that is enough space; I tend to think it is based on my spring rate calculations.

I will have the u-bolts facing down. The M101A2 lower shock/u-bolt mount I have is a little different than your picture and will become the under-sprung axle pad with some minor grinder work. Standard trailer u-bolts and spring plates are going on it.

There is a bit of descaling and rust removal necessary before I proceed with reinstalling the springs and axle. Hopefully I can get a few photos.

On a side note, I found that standard dexter trailer 12x2 electric brake assemblies go right in place of the original military hydraulics. Should be a good swap.

 

[KyCUCVs]

I did an underspring conversion on a M116 Generator Trailer. I used a commerical axle with the same bolt pattern as the M1009 wheels. I got the axle with hydraulic brakes with the intention of installing a military surge brake hitch. The existing lunette was bent anyway. There's not as much clearance between the axle and the frame as I would like. Probably need to replace the springs. Never had a load on it. Installing the axle was as far as I got due to an upcoming deployment. It is currently sitting behind the garage with a M105 trailer cover on it. Using it for temporary storage and a home for a few wayward cats. Too many other higher priority projects needing attention.

 

[KaiserM109]

... Installing the axle was as far as I got due to an upcoming deployment. ...

Thank you for serving. Keep a low profile.

 

[BSH]

Kaiser, thanks for the additional pics. So you haul that behind your Bronco with no trailer brakes? How does that work for you?

 

[KaiserM109]

Kaiser, thanks for the additional pics. So you haul that behind your Bronco with no trailer brakes? How does that work for you?

I would like to have brakes, but don't see a way to do it within a budget. Some of the newer M101s and M116s have surge grakes. That would be ideal. There are a lot of them on the auction block in Wash. State right now, but, alas someone else will wind up owning them.

With 1000 lb. pretty well balanced the tongue weight is about 250 lb. If I keep the load under 1500 lb. and my Bronco brakes are in good shape, it stops well, even on a down grade. I am getting ready to put a Dana 44 w/disk brakes on the front and I expect it to be even better.

I towed it on the flats once with what I estimated was around 2000 lb. and it tended to waggle the Bronco’s tail. I have a J20 truck that is in pieces at the moment. I expect to be able to tow up to 2500 lb. behind it, if there is at least 500 lb. in the bed.

 

[RKBA]

Here are the photos as requested.

With new six leaf springs installed, I have about 4 1/2" clearance to the frame with no weight on the suspension. I don't really expect the suspension to squat very much at all with the entire trailer weight on it.

All I did for the perch was to simply trim and grind a little on the lower u-bolt plate/shock mount to make it flat. Now it serves as the perch; if I want or need to go back to stock it isn't a problem.